Thread: upright rows--to do or not to do?

I don't do them.

I love them, it hits the delts and the traps at the same time. Add in a few sets of these with a couple sets of some variation of a side lateral and its all good.

On a side note, if you do these along with heavy back work there isnt any need for direct trap work.

Also with upright rows form is very important, you can end up using momentum very easy with these.

Currently supersetting uprights with forward raise... ouch!
I like 'em.

it does require a lot of movenet at the shoulder joint, abduction and external rotation. Both which heavily use the rotators. I would be careful if you have a shoulder problem. I like them but I also do olympic lifts so my pulling is pretty similiar to the movement at the shoulder with this exercise already.

I don't like em', they just doesn't feel like a natural motion.

I am a big fan of them as long as they do not cause pain, and as long as they are not used at every workout, which can easily cause an overuse injury. I replace side laterals with WG barbell uprights at every other workout.

I never had any shoulder problems until I used them. My form was on point but I think I went a little too heavy. Ended up not lifting for 3 weeks because of the pain. There is too much potential for injury with such an un-natural movement.

I've used them for 15 years, at one point using well over 200 lbs for reps, and never a shoulder problem.

I was using a measly 135x15 the last time I did them, and I still hurt my shoulder. I used to never have a problem.

I used to really like an angled smith machine for these.

I usually don't do them. My shoulders get a lot of work overhead pressing, flat pressing, deadlifting, rowing etc. Anymore and I don't think the poor things would recover at all.